John gardner



(M J. GARDNER.

PRIMER.

No. 572,888. Patented Dec. 8, 1896.

"m: noims PETERS co, vacuum-mi, WASHINGTON, 11c,

UNITED STATES JOHN GARDNER, OF NEIV HAVEN,

CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE IVINCIIESTER REPEATING ARMS COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

PRPM ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 572,888, dated December 8, 1896.

Application 5196 December 9, 1895. Serial No. 671,482. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN GARDNER, of New Haven, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new Improvem ent in Primers for Cartridge-Shells; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with the 'accompanyin g drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of this specification, and represent, in-

Figure 1, a detached enlarged view, in central longitudinal section, of a primer constructed in accordance with my invention, showing its body before the contraction thereof to form a retaining-neck; Fig. 2, a similar view showing the primer after the contraction of its body to form the retaining-neck; Fig. 3, a view of the primer in transverse section on the line a b of Fig. 3; Fig. 4, a detached perspective view of the anvil; Fig. 5, a view in side elevation of a paper shot-shell containing one of my improved primers, a portion of the head of the shell broken away to show the primer.

My invention relates to an improvement in that class of primers or percussion-caps which are provided with a sheet-metal anvil, the object being to produce a simple and inexpensive primer constructed with particular reference to the invariable explosion of the fulminate, to securing the anvil in the primerbody so firmly that it cannot be forced out of the same by the explosion of the fulminate, and to the free passage of the fire resulting from the explosion of the fulminate out ofthe primer into the powder in the form of a single tongue of flame.

With these ends in view my invention consists in a primer having certain details of construction, as will be hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claim.

In carrying out my invention I form a primer-body or shell A of heavy sheet metal, which, as shown, is upset to form an outwardly-projecting annular bearing-flange A at its outer end. Within the primer-bod y A, I locate in longitudinal arrangement a flat wrought-metal anvil B, having corresponding bearing edges B B, but differentiated ends,

its outer end being pointed to form a high percussion-surface B and its inner end being indented to form a clearance-space B which quickens the union of the fire produced by the explosion of the fulminate and passing inward through the passages B B formed on the opposite sides of the anvil. By constructin g the anvil with corresponding bearin g edges, but differentiated ends, I greatly facilitate the right assemblance of the anvils with the primer-bodies, inasmuch as the an vils will not enter the bodies sidewise, but only endwise, and the ends of the anvils being so well distinguished from each other there is no difficulty in presenting the right end of the anvil to the open end of the primerbody. The fulminate C, which is located within the closed end of the primer-body, is by preference hardened or caked under pressure, so as to retain its place without the use of any covering. The pointed percussionsurface B of the anvil is pressed slightly into the center of the caked fulminate, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings. After the anvil has been introduced into the primerbody it is firmly secured therein by the reduct-ion of the open inner end of the body to form the cylindrical, longitudinally-projecting, thickened, and condensed, and therefore reinforced, retaining-neck A as shown in Fig. 2, the said neck being considerably smaller in diameter than the width of the anvil.

The reduction of the open inner end of the primer-body to form the retaining-neck is by preference done gradually by a series of diminishing reducing-dies. The described reduction of the primer-body to form the retaining-neck enables me to employ heavier sheet metal in the production of the primer than I could use in case I depended upon turning the edge of the open end of the primer inward upon itself for securing the anvil in place, the method last mentioned weakening the metal, reducing it in thickness, and affording less security to the anvil.

By contracting the open end of the primerbody to form a retaining-neck as described I not only condense and thicken the metal, as shown in Fig. 2, but am enabled to secure the anvil so firmly in place that it cannot be gas forced out by the explosion of the fulminate. This is a very important feature of my improved primer, because if the force of explosion on the fulminate could blow the anvil out of the primer the same would be carried out of the shell and perhaps be as fatal in its efiect as a ball, so that the firing of cartridges which require loaded primers might become as dangerous as firing loaded cartridges. By forming a clearance-space in the inner end of the anvil and by contracting the open inner end of the primer-body the fire produced by the explosion of the fulminate is allowed to speedily unite in the clearance-space, after which it is drawn together, as it were, by the retaining-neck into one tongue of flame, passing thence into the powder.

A comparison of Figs. 1 and 2 shows a shortening of the primer-body or shell-by contracting its open end to form a condensed and thickened neck, as described.

My improved primer may be used either in shot-shells, whether made of metal or paper, or in cartridges furnished with bullets.

In Fig. 5 of the drawings I have shown one of my improved primers applied to a papershell cartridge D, having a sheet-metal head D and a reinforce D which is by preference formed of along tighly-wound coil of paper and located within the metal head D. The said head in the cartridge shown has no pri- 1ner-pocket,but a perforation d through which the body of the primer passes, and thence directly through the reinforce D into the powder E in front of the same. The edge of the opening d is set inward to form an annular seat d, affording a bearing for the flange A of the primer-body.

My improved primer is well adapted for use in paper shot-shells, but, as before mentioned,has a much wider range of application.

I would therefore have it undersi do not limit myself to the exact co shown and described, but hold my erty to make such changes and as fairly fall within the spirit an my invention.

Having fully described my inver I claim as new, and desire to secure Patent, is-

The herein-described primer f0] shells, consisting of a sheet-met body and a flat sheet-metal anvi primer-body having its open inne tracted to form a cylindrical, long projecting, thickened and cond therefore reinforced retaining-no in diameter than the remaining the said primer-body, and the saic' ing straight corresponding beari1 pointed outer end forming a high surface, and an indented inner en clearance-space, the pointed oute anvil resting upon the fulminate l( in the closed outer end of the prime the retaining-neck of the primersmaller in diameter than the widt vil which it holds firmly in plac( primer-body against the force 0: nate when exploded, and the clea of the-anvil and the neck of the b( to permit the quick union of th fulminate and the drawing of t gether' into a single flame which ward through the neck to the I stantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have specification in the presence of t ing witnesses.

' J OHN G1 Witnesses:

DANIEL H. VEADER, W. S. BALDWIN. 

